Edhat Staff
Photos: Century 21
By edhat staff
The 265 acres of coastal land known as “More Mesa” is back on the market for $65 million.
Listed by Century 21 as 0 More Mesa Drive, the stretch of land between Hope Ranch and the Santa Barbara Orchid Estate.
The More Mesa open space includes oak woodland and riparian habitat as well as trails that are popular with birdwatchers, bikers, and horseback riders. The property is accessible by driving south on Patterson Avenue, and then east on Shoreline Drive to a trailhead near Orchid Drive.
According to the real estate listing, the oceanfront land was appraised in 2007 at $106 million and is zoned for 70 homes. The listing goes on to state, “it is made up of legally subdivided 6 lots yet physically it is one single lot. Although the requirement in that location is 30% of the size of this land can be a buildable area being 80 acres yet the county compelled by the environmentalists to allow only 15 % being 40 acres.”
The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County purchased a piece of the property on the northwestern edge of More Mesa in 1991. The former “Austin/Andrews Property” was purchased with Proposition 70 bond funds, and transferred to the County.
Not that I totally disagree with you 1219 pm, but preserving wild lands in this region continues – see the Dangermond Preserve at Point Conception.
Great spot for low income housing.
Such a jewel. Must be saved from development. I will contribute. Let the downvoting begin.
The CHUMASH should buy it up and build a coastal Casino… It would be way more popular than having to drive up to the Santa Ynez Valley…
Just need to buy it! Gorgeous place, white-tailed kites, short-eared owls, many other birds, sweet hiking, wonderful sunsets and sunrises….
Oprah, why don’t you buy it. Call it the Oprah Wildlife Preserve. Don’t have new foot paths or biking trails or horse trails, or anything else that’s human attractive. Just have it FOR wildlife. Let wildlife relax at More Mesa and not be threatened, thanks to Oprah Wildlife Preserve.
This open space is a jewel. I hope someone can figure out a way to preserve it. Am glad to support that effort with cash.
My heart aches to think this land might be built upon. Trust for Public Land step up, please.
Get ready for more housing. I hate to say it, but I’ve lost faith in our ability to preserve wild areas. This town is being bought and sold like a…. well, not going to say it.
Actually, Ellen is the real animal lover. It can be the Ellen DeGenneres Preserve.
Great! Now you only need to find 64,999 more people to pony up $1000 cash as well… and then you’ll need 6,500 people a year to pay roughly $1000 each for the tax bill and maintenance costs. Totally do-able in a town where the local schools beg for supplies and the local parks are full of bums… Get on it!
ellen doesn’t go north of Olive Mill. sorry.
Since property owned by religious entities isn’t taxed (by law), perhaps recognize “humanism” as a religion and let the atheists & nature-worshippers administer it?
Well, we have the Douglas Family Preserve so having other celebrities step up would be following in the lead by Michael Douglas.
Will need the conservancy groups and possibly a few local wealthy donors, but it is possible. Carpinteria showed us how when they acquired their bluffs. Normally the land is then given to the County to maintain using the taxes that all of us pay, just like Douglas/Wilcox was given to the City.
HORRIBLE! Nooooooooo! They must NOT be building on that beautiful land! Is nothing sacred anymore? I helped raise money to preserve the Wilcox Property, and I’ll help raise money to buy More Mesa if there is an effort. This is a gorgeous local spot that does NOT NEED more homes and people on it. Please!
1st..no, nothing is “sacred” anymore..
2nd..we don’t want a casino on the coast because Westerners can’t behave as things currently are.
What we CAN do is, purchase the land & close it off to the public in order to protect it.